Category: lockdown

Have you heard of Marie Kondo? I’m a big fan of her method which encourages people to … well, throw most of their stuff away and turn more towards minimalism (Of course, there are some rules about getting rid of things if you check her books out). I’ve partly tried her method (partly, because leaving only 30 books on my shelves would look a bit sad, so I still keep a lot more than that) and I got some great results. I find her series on Netflix and Marie Kondo’s Facebook groups motivating and inspiring! Seriously, when I think I should organise some space around me and clean my house but don’t feel like it and would prefer to procrastinate, then I watch or read a bit about Marie’s method – e.g. how other people deal with de-cluttering and what amazing results they achieve if they put in a bit of effort; it gives me a motivational kick. Marie’s method made such a big impact on my life that I like to see now and then what other authors offer on this topic.

For example, there is a new book release coming up soon. Found in the personal development/time-management section, it is Beyond Tidy: Declutter Your Mind and Discover the Magic of Organized Living by A. Brogan. I wonder whether this book may give me some new perspectives, surprisingly simple and creative ideas, or advice I haven’t come across before. Or will it just be a rehash of what I already know?Why is it so important to have an organised space? Of course because it makes us happier and more relaxed; but why would it make us feel this way?

Studies reveal that we only use 20% of what we own. Meanwhile, we will each spend on average about 3,680 hours in our lifetime searching for misplaced items. It is also worth noting that if we could rid ourselves of clutter we would eliminate about 40% of housework.

I’m wondering what you feel is the most problematic area of your home. What part would you most like to declutter and organise? Or have you tried this already and feel that it was successful?

“YouGov polling suggests fewer than one in 10 people (9%) actually want life to return to ‘normal’ after the coronavirus outbreak is over.”

Many people catch-up with their housework, refurbish their houses, learn new things or spend more time on things they love. Yet many seem to feel that admitting that the temporary lockdown may be a good thing is somehow not right or moral. There are so many people suffering and dying, so many of us feel it isn’t right to be happy at this time.

I believe we should count our blessings and live in the present moment, and if we can be happy then that is definitely good and the right thing to be. The world has countless problems. We can’t be depressed because the world is suffering. We should try to turn some bad into good if we can and use this time well. There is already so much negative thinking and coverage in the media.

Being happy that we are healthy and have more time for our family and catching up with things or learning new things is not just beneficial, but amazing, don’t you think? Whatever we feel about it, whether we feel confused, scared, depressed or relieved, let’s try to make the most of this unusual time as the likelihood it will repeat is very small. Let’s use this as an opportunity.